Reid Scott Leaving Law & Order During Season 26

“It was not for lack of trying, believe me,” he continued, “I wanted it so badly because it was a rite of passage when you’re 20, 21. Everyone I knew was doing it, and for whatever reason, it never came my way.”

But after landing a lead role on the series—which costars Tony Goldwin, Maura Tierney, David Ajala, Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi—Scott was able to check the life goal off his bucket list.

“Not only am I scratching this itch from 20 plus years ago,” he told the outlet, “but also, it’s just fun to run around the streets of New York with a gun, a badge, and a bad attitude.”